The CW Smacks Down WWE

Network will drop wrestling mainstay from schedule
By Michael O'Connor,  Newser User
Posted Feb 8, 2008 3:00 PM CST
The CW Smacks Down WWE
WWE chairman Vince McMahon speaks at the press conference to announce details of Wrestlemania 23 on March 28, 2007 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)   (Getty Images)

The CW network and wrestling show/ratings bonanza "Smackdown" are no longer a tag team, Variety reports. Speculation is that the network and World Wrestling Entertainment couldn’t agree on a price for the new season; the CW is also trying to foster a more feminine image. But it's a risky move as the network tries to maintain ratings against larger competitors.

Meanwhile, wrestling fans don’t yet know where they'll get their fix after this season. The WWE has been searching for a new "Smackdown" home since last week, but sources indicate it might have to settle for a cable network like USA—a humbling fall from the top turnbuckle for a program that has been with the CW/UPN franchise since 1999. (More World Wrestling Entertainment stories.)

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